The destination Point
May 25, 2017. The Shabo settlement (Belgorod-Dnestrovsk region) family clinic has opened the HIV rapid-testing office. The similar offices were opened on the same day in Russkoivanovka and Starokazhachye settlements. The events became possible within the pilot project “Sustainability of the HIV Services”, that is being realized by the “Way Home” Charity Foundation under the support of USAid “HIV Reform in Action” project.
The program is bringing HIV services closer to the customers from the distant parts of Odessa region and is allowing to fasten the recognition and the treatment of the HIV infection (if it was detected to be positive).
The Shabo office became the 10th office of the HIV services in the area: the other offices for HIV counseling ad testing are open in Staraya Starichanka, Britovka, Zatoka, Vypasnoye, Sergeevka, Primorskoye, Nikolaevka, Russkoivanovka and Starokazachye.
The opening ceremony of Shabo HIV testing office was honoured by the presence of the city and regional government representatives, as well as the project representatives. Natalia Kitsenko, the head of the project, expressed gratitude to the governmental officials for the support in opening the offices. «We are actively asking the people to come and test themselves for HIV», – Natalia Kitsenko added.
Galina Arkhipenko, the deputy head of the local government also showed respect and gratitude to the team of the project from all the local administration government for the work that has been done in order to prepare and open the HIV testing offices: “A lot has been done in this one year of work within the project. We can already witness the results of the work. Thank you for all the members of “Sustainability project”.
Leonid Kondratyuk, the deputy of the city Council, the head of the budget unity and the head of the STD Hospital of the city mentioned that “Now you can receive the HIV services on the place, it saves time and money, but, what is more important, it saves the treatment time, if t is needed, for the positive patients. Now this opportunity to bring the HIV services closer to the people became possible by the common work of the government and NGOs”.
The family doctor offices that include the HIV testing are organized by the co-financing of the local administration and the “Sustainability…” project. The offices are made in order to create the sustainable model of the HIV services: starting from the early diagnostics of the HIV of the people of Odessa region.
